Employers

Transport

Keeping your business
moving in the right direction

The experience of our team and the
size of our client base, enable us to provide a superior service to
clients in the transport sector. We have lawyers especially
dedicated to employment law who are passionate about the issues
facing the transport sector. With that comes a focussed and
knowledgeable approach to your needs.

Public transport, freight and
logistics and air transport are just some of the areas of our
expertise.

If you want to talk to a specialist
please contact Meredith Hurst, who heads up the Transport sector
team. We would love to hear from you if you have any specific
legal requirements or just want guidance about current developments
affecting the world of transport.

Key employment law issues
affecting the transport sector

Working time - Employers have an obligation to
take all reasonable steps in keeping with the need to protect
workers health and safety to ensure that each worker's average
working time (including overtime) does not exceed 48 hours per
week. All workers are covered by the 48 hour
working week but there are some exemptions such as mobile road
transport workers.

Employment status - The employment status of
an individual is important for a number of reasons. For example,
certain important legal rights only apply if an individual is an
employee. However, increasingly rights are also additionally being
granted to workers. Transport businesses particularly those
in the freight and logistics sector commonly engage self employed
drivers. There are also issues surrounding the use of agency
workers and casual labour to consider.

Trade union law - Large public transport
operators are often unionised. This requires an understanding
of the processes involved in both union recognition and ongoing
consultation with unionised workers.

Transport News

The Department
for Transport has launched a consultation paper to help inform its
forthcoming review ofUKdomestic drivers' hours rules. The rules,
which govern daily driving limits and rest requirements, were
designed to support road safety and the health and safety of
drivers of commercial vehicles. The review will consider whether
the rules remain relevant to the policies they implement and
support and whether they aid fair competition within the road
haulage and passenger transport industries.

Efforts
underway to improve access to the road network for disabled users
have been outlined in a new publication by the Highways
Agency. The public body is carrying out a series of projects
on motorways and trunk roads inEnglandand a consultation has been
conducted with a range of organisations that represent the needs of
those with disabilities. Currently available online, the
report covers issues such as the use of dropped kerbs, tactile
paving and raised footways to ease access to buses. Ginny Clarke,
the agency's director of network services, remarked: "Our new
schemes already provide for the needs of disabled people, but we
are now embarking on a program to improve our existing
infrastructure." With more than ten million disabled people
in theUK, many of whom are pensioners and children, the Highways
Agency is attempting to meet their transport requirements and
improve links to key destinations over the coming years.

Green
initiative. Dozens of new hybrid buses are to be integrated into
London's public transport network as part of plans to improve air
quality in the city. According to Transport for London, finance for
90 vehicles has been secured from the Department for Transport's
Green Bus Fund. The buses will take a hybrid fleet up to more than
200 and they will be put into service in some of the areas of the
city that have been identified as pollution hotspots including
Marylebone Road and Edgware Road. Arriva will operate the new
vehicles on a number of routes through the capital.

Underground
Wi-Fi. Wi-Fi on the Tube may be available from next year. London
Underground is inviting bids from telecommunications companies. It
is hoped that by the time of the Olympics, passengers at 120
stations will be able to get on-line.

The experience of the
team

Meredith acts for a major national
bus company advising on all employment law matters involving driver
performance and conduct. He also acts for companies in the
freight and transport sector and has a particular interest in
issues concerning employment status and the challenges this poses
to the freight and distribution sector. He also deals with
all employment tribunal cases personally from start to finish
including conducting the hearing to ensure continuity. This
enables him to get to know your business and the personalities
within it.

Kate has been involved in a key
case that was heard at the Employment Appeal
Tribunal, involving the issue of employment status and
mutuality of obligation for a courier and freight company Younis v Transglobal
UKEAT/0504/05/SM.

Our team members have provided
extensive training to businesses within the transport sector.
This training has included, by way of example, hosting seminars,
holding workshops and supplying our own bespoke employment law
training programmes in multimedia and e-learning formats.

Request a Callback

Name

Email

Location

Telephone

Nature of enquiry

Comments

Preferred method of contact

Client Testimonial

"I think they [Thomas Mansfield] come across as very professional. It’s about the depth of knowledge and the support they can offer; they have a good paperwork system and give good practical advice. The thing I’d say is that, some other firms sound great on the tin but you’ve got to ask yourself do they actually deliver the goods? Their advice is always good. They’re easy to speak to; you never get the feeling you’re talking to prima donnas or arrogant people who aren’t interested. They have even called me back proactively saying ‘thinking about it why don’t you do, this?’ I haven’t had much need for help but when I have they are easy to reach - contactability is good, the advice is practical and the individuals are people we’re comfortable with and inspire confidence."

Newsletter

Obtain a Quote

Client Testimonials

"We receive a very personal service from Thomas Mansfield - unlike other personnel advisers/companies we are given a dedicated solicitor who we work directly with. This proves to be very successful and as a result the advice we are given is very consistent. Overall we are extremely satisfied, hence utilising the service over the last 3 years! We take regular advice on all aspects of personnel law and whilst dealing with Thomas Mansfield we are updated on current statutes and legal requirements."